Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are 0. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The clerk will please read the title of Bill No. 010272.
Bill No. 010272, an ordinance amending Section 4 of an ordinance (Bill No. 990534) approved November 19, 1999, entitled "An ordinance authorizing Filbert Street Associates, L.P., 150 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102-1424, owner of the property bounded by 12th Street, 13th Street, Filbert Street, and Cuthbert Street, to construct and maintain various building footings under the abutting footways of Filbert Street and Cuthbert Street, all under certain terms and conditions," by extending the time for compliance with the conditions stated therein.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will please call the roll.
Councilman O'Neill is voting aye. Councilman Ortiz? SECOND READING - BILL 010301
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are 0. A majority of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 010301.
Bill No. 010301, an ordinance granting permission to John Tripodi, owner of the property 2536 McKean Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19145, and his successors and assigns, to construct, use, own, and maintain a private water line under the cartway of 26th Street and the south footway of the 2500 block of McKean Street to provide water service to 2536 McKean Street; all under certain terms and conditions. SECOND READING - BILL 010301
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are 0. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The last bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 010304.
Bill No. 010304, an ordinance authorizing Brinker International, Inc., d/b/a Maggiano's, a tenant of the property 1201-1239 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, to SECOND READING - BILL 010304 construct and maintain various encroachments projecting onto and over the north footway of Filbert Street and the west footway of 12th Street, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are 0. A majority of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. This concludes the calendar. SPEECHES
I know there are no secrets in City Hall and I believe that one of our colleagues is celebrating a birthday. We promised not to have a birthday cake but I know that my colleagues would join me in extending to Councilwoman Krajewski a very happy birthday an our very best wishes.
Congratulations. Happy birthday. This concludes our calendar for today. Are there any speeches on the part of the minority? (No speeches on the part of the minority.)
Are there speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Madam President, I move that -- no, I have no speeches. I'm sorry.
Madam President, I move that Council stand adjourned until -
I'm sorry. We have Councilmembers that want to be recognized for a speech. Councilwoman Tasco, I know you have to leave so I'm sure that Councilwoman Blackwell could make a motion for you.
Thank you, Madam President. Two items: one lighthearted and one quite serious. There's a story in the Inquirer this morning about the daughter of one of our colleagues, Councilman Ortiz, a young lady I met many, many years ago, I think she was maybe five or six at the time when I was working actually for the Councilman when he was first elected. Ann Ortiz has grown up to be a beautiful 22-year-old young lady who is SPEECHES going to be starring in a TV series shortly, having pursued an acting and dramatic career through her education and training, and there's a wonderful story about her in the Inquirer, I think, in the magazine section, which is great compliment both to the Councilman and to Lydia, his wife. It is clear that, one, by looks, Anna absolutely takes after her mother, and also by talent, since we've not seen any dramatic abilities from Councilman Ortiz in many, many years. So we know where the talent is coming from. But I'm sure the Councilman has had great influence on this young lady, and I wish to commend him both as a friend and a colleague. I'm sure it is with great pride that he has not only in Anna but all of his children and all of us running around with little ones and not so little ones share in his joy. Secondly and somewhat in the same vein, Madam President, I have to say something about it, I cannot hold it within me, and you've always been very accommodating in that regard. We received a copy of a letter to you from Mayor Street yesterday with regard to the seriousness of the school financial situation, which has been a topic of much SPEECHES discussion for a long period of time, not just in recent times, but going back, I believe, as far as February of 2000, when the first discussion about a potential $20 million additional commitment by the City to the schools was raised. That transaction at the time did not take place. The State, my recollection is, passed their budget early, and that item went away. The Mayor did subsequently make a commitment for the additional $20 million, although it was not requested at that time. Subsequently, as a partial solution to last year's teachers' contract, there was an additional commitment made to help fill a funding gap in that contract negotiation. There's been a lot of discussion about that. I think probably a majority of Councilmembers certainly want to see both of those commitments made and the School District be taken care of, at least as it relates to the $45 million. The irony of yesterday was that we had a briefing about the stadium bills, I guess the two that were introduced earlier today. 3 million project, which has already started with an even larger funding gap. And at the same time, next week, we're going to have hearings about a new transaction for the schools, a shift in millage and some additional dollars going to the School District. I assume also the $45 million issue will also come up again. And I don't have any problem with any of those items. There was, though, a sense of urgency, if not calamity, about the Council's action or inaction related to our schedule and what might happen to the stadium transaction versus the very serious issues raised by the Mayor in his letter about the schools, raising the possibility that either schools may not open or may not have a complete school year. It seems to me that the players and the teams and the owners and the like, they have all gotten their education and they are now working productively. I don't feel the same sense of urgency to fill a gap of $235 million and the insurance that the schools will open and remain open for the next school year as I seem to get about SPEECHES whether or not the stadium project will go forward, stay on timetable, the new Eagles facility open in September of '03.
And I cannot imagine that if the urgency about getting the two stadium bills done before we leave on the 14th raises such a question in bankers' minds and in the financial community and people raising questions about whether or not the City is still serious about that transaction. I voted for every stadium bill that came through here. We've acquired property, we're demolished buildings, we've moved people and businesses. I don't know how much more serious we could demonstrate that we are about that transaction. But I do not see the same things going on about whether or not children will have a place to be in September. 3 billion construction project that is moving forward presently, while not at the same time having the same comfort level about a $235 million gap on the school side and not knowing whether children can go to school in September and complete a full year. I cannot imagine a circumstance under which we would allow something like that to happen. And I am disturbed about it, I am concerned about it, I am angry about it, and I am worried about it, because I am not hearing from the same serious people that this is something that has to be done before this body leaves. I'm not hearing that. I only hear it about the one transaction, and I don't think there's any doubt about which of those two transactions is more important than the other. So I can only ask, Madam President, that as we go into the next week, we get some of same information about the school situation and what the game plan is to solve that problem as we are. And we have people running around. We had 20 people in the caucus room yesterday ready to fly into the wind to get any answer to any question that anyone might want. We have a letter from the Mayor. The Mayor's very serious, I know he's committed to public SPEECHES education. We need to see the same kind of team work on the school side as we're seeing on the stadium side. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Ortiz.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And I just want to thank my friend Michael Nutter for those kind words about my daughter and her talent. And it's inherited, it's genetic. But I also concur with his statements about the school. And we have seen all of this year, and I was frustrated last night and angry when we were in the caucus room being briefed about the stadium because over the last year, while the school crisis has been increasing and mounting, we have spent times, hours, evenings, weeks. We've been pressured, we've been booed, we've been -- people have filled these chambers to the rafters about education -- about stadiums and about the Eagles and the Phillies, whether they will leave if we don't give them the billion dollars or more. SPEECHES I have two little ones in public schools that are very precious to me and I don't see that same sort of urgency in this city for the type of issue that we need to have if we're going to solve the problems of the schools. If we're going to eliminate blight, you have to begin with fixing the school system. If you're going to become a first-class city, stadiums do not make us that. A first-class school system does. If you're going to create and want industries to come in, you cannot do it without having a school system that is first class, a public school system that is first class. That urgency that we see for the stadiums, that commitment, that fanaticism that we see to please, to please these individuals, these multi-millionaires. We should see that same fanaticism, that same sense of urgency when we talk about the schools. If we give the Eagles and the Phillies over $400 million, let's give a little bit more to the school, let's make a little bit of sacrifices that we need to do in order to be able to begin the process of giving our kids the resources that they need, because they constantly talk about how the answer is not money, but money -- the answer ADJOURNMENT begins with money, 'cause resources and new schools need to be built and new classrooms need to be put forward and computers need to be bought and teachers have to be paid a competitive salary. And that is not being done. If we want to attract good teachers, we have to raise the salary, we have to give 'em what they need. I'd like to see that urgency. So I agree with my colleague Michael Nutter, and I thank him once again about his statements about Anna. I'm sure she's grateful. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Are there any other speeches on the part of the majority? (No further speeches.)
Seeing none, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Madam President, I move that Council be adjourned until Thursday, June 7th, at 10 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and second that Council stand adjourned until ADJOURNMENT Thursday June 7, 2001, AT 10 a.m. All those in favor will say aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and Council will stand adjourned until June the 7th. Thank you. (Adjourned at 12:17 p.m.) C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Thursday, May 31, 2001, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: STATED MEETING __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter